Tag: economy

Nov 23, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party slammed the ‘cronyism’ displayed in some of the tax cuts but said bringing down the deficit amid lower tax revenues deserved recognition.Opposition legislator Harsha de Silva said some of the duty and tax concessions for luxury branded goods and the value added tax […]

Nov 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has slapped a series of new taxes to raise revenue and worsen protectionism setting an ambitious state revenue targets for 2014 with more spending and borrowing outlined outside the budget.But state airlines continued to run losses, needing a 200 million US dollar bailout in 2014. The Urban Development […]

Nov 21, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is presenting at budget to the parliament for 2014 today amid tight economic conditions that has reduced tax revenues in the first half of 2013.Sri Lanka was expected to cut the budget deficit to 5.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2013 and go for a tighter target […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is expected to grow 8.0 percent in 2014 with inflation of less than 6 percent and the budget deficit is expected to be brought down to 5.2 percent of gross domestic product, the Central Bank has said.Global commodity prices have however softened in recent weeks, with coffee prices […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka will be given 200 million US dollars bailout in the 2014 budget, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.Ceylon Electricity Board has turned around and Ceylon Petroleum has cut losses. SriLankan will get 150 million US dollars and Mihin Lanka will get 50 million US dollars. Both […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – To encourage research and development a tax deduction will be raised to 300 percent, and royalties will be made tax free, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said delivering the 2014 budget speech.Royalties on new patents will be made tax free for 7 years. President Rajapaksa who is also finance minister said the […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – A two percent nation building tax will be imposed on banks, export taxes will be charged on cinnamon and pepper and import taxes will be raised on fishing boats and fish, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.Cess taxes will also be raised on butter, yoghurt and milk products. Wooden furniture imports will […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will stop the freehold sale of state or private citizen’s land to foreigners and will charge a 15 percent tax on leases, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.In that context the sale of land through leases could even be termed a relaxation of the earlier policy, analysts say. The tax […]

Nov 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised a tax on telecom services and imposed import taxes on a series of foods and other goods to help favoured businessmen and removed value added tax exemptions. A tax on telecom services which include voice calls has been raised to 25 percent from 20 percent, but […]

Nov 20, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has expressed a commitment to keep the budget deficit down next year, but the country has to guard against external risks and boost its business climate, a top International Monetary Fund official said. Meanwhile Shinohara said a lower deficit would also reduce the need for future foreign borrowings. […]

Nov 20, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state revenues were down 7.6 percent to 481.7 billion rupees in the first half of 2013 with tax revenues down 5.1 percent to 458.7 billion rupees, official data showed.“The only result is that the producers’ money is confiscated for the benefit of a bureaucracy that adds insult to […]

Nov 20, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s weak revenue collections in the first half of the year raised questions about the accuracy of gross domestic product estimates, an opposition legislator who is also an economist has said. Sri Lanka is recovering from a balance of payments crisis largely driven by credit taken by state enterprises […]